Xi Ya looked up and saw a group of students walking toward him.
When they got closer, he recognized the student at the front.
He looked familiar.
Wasn’t that the Regular Class student who had challenged Feili?
After Feili returned to the Academy, that noble student saw that she was last place in the Elite Class, thought she was an easy target, and challenged her.
Any Regular Class student has the right to challenge an Elite Class student, and they can choose the challenge content.
If they win, they get priority promotion to the Elite Class.
The losing Elite Class student loses a huge amount of credits, basically sealing their fate of dropping out of the Elite Class at the end of the semester.
Since he was here to challenge Feili, Xi Ya decided not to get involved.
He turned back and gave Feili a meaningful look.
‘Your trouble is here. I’ll leave you to it.’
Feili didn’t speak.
She just smiled at him.
Xi Ya was about to leave, but he felt the group’s gaze land on him.
He tested it by taking a few steps to the side.
Their eyes followed him.
He took a few more steps.
Their eyes were still on him.
‘They’re not here for Feili?’
Xi Ya noticed the noble student at the front had a malicious grin.
He exchanged glances with a few others, nodded in agreement, as if to say, “Found our target.”
Then they strode quickly toward him.
‘Wait, now I’m the last place in the Elite Class.’
‘Oh no, they’re coming for me!’
‘Don’t come any closer!’
He really was the easy target!
“Hmm~ What are you doing, Xi Ya? They look like they’re looking for you~ Why are you running?”
Feili asked playfully, seeing him speed up.
“Shut up.”
Xi Ya didn’t stop, almost breaking into a jog.
Feili didn’t leave.
Instead, she leaned against the flower bed, arms crossed, watching him circle the garden with great interest.
Every time he passed her, she even gave him an encouraging look with her eyes.
Xi Ya had no time for Feili.
He led the group around the large flower bed three full times.
The noble student’s expression went from smiling to gradually impatient.
Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore.
He gestured to his companions, and several students immediately scattered, flanking from both sides, blocking Xi Ya’s path.
“Heh, you commoner sure can run,”
the noble student said, panting, clearly annoyed.
“Can’t run now, can you?”
“What do you want? Fighting is forbidden in the Academy. Don’t do anything rash.”
Xi Ya waved his hands and stepped back, only to find people behind him blocking the way too.
“Fighting? Ha, do you think we nobles are as uncultured as you commoners?”
The noble student scoffed.
“You’re the last place in the Elite Class, right? I’m here to challenge you!”
“Challenge me?”
“That’s right. I’m challenging you, and you have to accept. That’s the Academy’s rule.”
The noble student crossed his arms, looking arrogant.
“A commoner like you should be thankful just to get into Thorn Academy. And now you’re pushing your luck, occupying a seat that doesn’t belong to you. I advise you to be smart and give it up quietly. The Elite Class isn’t a place for someone like you.”
Xi Ya glanced at Feili.
She was covering her mouth, snickering.
‘Great. I’m taking the bullet for you, and you’re gloating?’
Feili noticed him looking at her.
She lowered her hand, didn’t even cover her mouth, and just pointed at him, laughing.
‘Still laughing!’
“Fine. What do you want to challenge me in?”
Xi Ya had no choice but to accept.
The Academy really did have that rule: Elite Class students couldn’t refuse challenges from Regular Class students.
“I heard your Practical Combat score was barely passing, and you don’t know how to use a sword…”
The noble student’s lips curled into a malicious grin.
“Alright, let’s have a Sword Duel.”
“Milord, this commoner can’t use a sword. Isn’t it a bit unfair for you to bully him like this?”
one of the nearby students deliberately interrupted, voicing the question loudly.
“What’s unfair? I want to bully him!”
“HAHAHAHA!”
The whole group burst into laughter.
Xi Ya was silent.
‘These guys really came prepared. They’re deliberately targeting my poor Practical Combat score and challenging me to a Sword Duel.’
Entrance exams had three parts: the Theory Written Exam, the Magic Exam, and the Practical Combat Test.
He had no problems with the first two.
The Theory Written Exam was self-explanatory—he got full marks.
The Magic Exam tested magical application.
His Mana was low, but he was skilled at using magic, so he got close to full marks.
It was only the Practical Combat Test that barely passed.
He couldn’t use a sword.
Fortunately, magic was allowed, or he would have been taken down by the Low-level Magic Golem.
But Sword Duel didn’t allow magic.
It was swords only.
The other side deliberately chose the Sword Duel, his weakest area, clearly intending to bully him.
In the Game Plot, these people had targeted Feili the same way.
Feili’s Practical Combat score was lower than her other two subjects, so they challenged her to a Sword Duel.
But what they didn’t know was that Feili was best at swords.
During the Practical Combat Test, Feili had completely shattered the Magic Golem.
She should have gotten full marks, but the examiner saw she was originally a commoner who got noble status through adoption, so he deliberately deducted points, citing “lack of swordsmanship and deliberate destruction of equipment.”
That pulled down her Practical Combat score, dropping her overall ranking to thirty-ninth.
When that noble student heard the examiner’s evaluation, he thought Feili couldn’t use a sword and found her weak point.
He decisively challenged her to a Sword Duel, not realizing he’d run into her strongest skill.
The result was predictable.
Feili beat him black and blue.
But Xi Ya couldn’t do that.
He really didn’t know how to use a sword.
He could barely handle a Low-level Magic Golem.
Now he had to fight a real person?
“The time is set for tomorrow morning.”
The noble student tossed out that line and turned to leave, then stopped abruptly.
His grin turned sleazy.
He looked back and added.
“Don’t say I, the young master, bullied you. I’ll give you a day. Better learn how to hold a sword properly, so you don’t drop it in fright, HAHAHAHA!”
He left with his gang of followers.
Xi Ya watched them go, his mind full of ‘I’m screwed.’
“It seems~ Xi Ya has run into some trouble~”
Feili was enjoying the show, her lips nearly curling up to the sky.
“And you’re just going to gloat, right?”
Xi Ya glanced at her sideways.
“I can’t help it~ That’s the Academy’s rule. There’s nothing I can do~”
Feili spread her hands, deliberately putting on a helpless expression.
“Dammit, why didn’t they go after you?”
Xi Ya knew they wouldn’t go after Feili, but he couldn’t help complaining.
“Hmm~ Maybe they think Xi Ya is easier to bully. After all, I don’t look like an easy target. The last person who tried to cause me trouble got expelled~”
Feili’s smile grew even brighter.
She turned gracefully, her pink hair swaying lightly with the motion.
“Good luck, Xi Ya~ I’ll come watch tomorrow~”
She raised her left hand, waved it gently in the air, and disappeared into the square.
Xi Ya was left alone by the flower bed, completely numb.
‘I take the arrow for Feili again? Am I her shield?’
Damn it!